More than 1.7 million UK motorists could be risking penalty points and a fine of up to £5,000 for not securing their pet safely inside a car.
That’s according to research by comparison website Go.Compare, which discovered that 15 percent of UK dog owners don’t harness their animals or carry them inside a crate when driving.
Securing a dog inside the car while driving is a legal requirement – and as important for your own safety as that of your pet.
In a separate survey by Ford, a quarter of those who admitted to allowing their dog ride unsecured also said their four-legged friend poked its head out of the window while on the move.
Some owners even said their pet had jumped free of the car. Others confessed that having a loose animal inside the vehicle had caused an accident.
Carrying an unrestrained animal could lead to a charge of Driving Without Due Care and Attention and up to nine penalty points if it results in a crash – or you are stopped by the police.
For carrying a dog – or indeed any larger pet – the best solution is a crate or carrier in the boot. This way, the animal is safely contained and isolated from passengers inside the car.
“If you have a pet, please think of its safety in the same way you would about any other member of the family,” explained dog training expert, Graeme Hall – known as ‘The Dogfather’.
“I always carry my dog Lily in the boot in her crate. She can comfortably move around and everyone’s safe. I believe that’s the best solution.”
If your car doesn’t have a large enough boot, the other solution is a dog seatbelt harness. Most plug into a seatbelt buckle on the rear bench, then can be adjusted to suit the size of your dog. Leashes that simply attach to your dog’s collar and the belt buckle are not a safe solution.
This should go without saying, but it would be remiss of us not to offer a timely reminder: do not leave pets in a parked car, particularly in hot weather.
Whatever the temperature outside, however, abandoning your dog for a long period of time inside a car is cruel at best. At worst, it’s animal abuse.
Carry your pets safely and only leave them inside the car for a long as is strictly necessary.
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